It’s taken Tamdan McCrory (11-3) just about five months to go from from “Barncat” to “Barnlion.”

McCrory recently spoke with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com), and the former UFC welterweight discussed his permanent move to middleweight after a “man-spurt” that made it all but impossible to make 170 pounds.

For McCrory, the jump is not only practical but also a part of a deep-rooted dream to be the guy that kicks sand in other people’s faces.

“I like being huge and [expletive] jacked up and knocking noggins when I fight,” McCrory said.

Many fans were up in arms over the 6-foot-5 fighter’s release from the UFC, which did not go smoothly. After reports surfaced he had been cut following a split-decision loss to John Howard this past August at UFC 101, UFC president Dana White gave McCrory a brief reprieve and reversed the call before he changed his mind again and dropped the axe.

McCrory has drawn a cult-like following for his outspoken interviews and bookish appearance, which appears a muscle or two removed from Comic-Con.

Now, the spectacled fighter (and death-metal devotee) has added even bigger muscles to his frame.

While his time in the UFC was “fun while it lasted,” he said the lessons learned inside the octagon weren’t revelatory.

“I learned [that I needed to] get better at jiu-jitsu,” McCrory said. “Don’t lose or you get cut. And judges don’t always know what to look for. The scoring system is a little off in my opinion.

“Honestly, though, it’s just another chapter closed and a new one opens in the book of life. Really just starting from scratch.”

Starting from scratch meant a rigorous strength and conditioning program to fill out his body.

As a welterweight, McCrory said he cut 35 pounds to make weight – 30 pounds of which was done five or six weeks out from the fight.

Pictures from his UFC weigh-ins tell the tale; misery is etched across his face as he watches the scale tick towards 170 pounds.

“If the difference between enjoying life and staying at 170 is a cheeseburger once a month, then that’s not the type of life I want to live,” McCrory said.

After nearly five months of intense work, McCrory said the results are apparent. Getting “jacked” has also done wonders for his self-esteem.

“It kind of goes back to my childhood,” McCrory said. “I became obsessed with being thin. I had very disordered eating. I wouldn’t say I had an eating disorder, but I had disordered eating, and I wasn’t taking care of my body. I went from being the fat [expletive] to being a beanpole and I shot up to like 6-foot-2 and I was like 145 pounds.

“I’ve always been a weak kid, so that made me feel a lot better. I mean, it sounds kind of dumb; I’m like an adult and I’ve got little kid dreams of being the strong guy. But I don’t give a [expletive]; that’s what I want to do.”

As he continues to bulk up, McCrory is keep himself busy teaching MMA in upstate New York. His students constantly ask him when he’s coming back. The truth is, he doesn’t know.

After his release, he had at least three offers on the table, but he was tired of trying to make weight and turned them all down. Since then, he’s waited for the right opportunity.

“My manager has been shopping me around,” McCrory said. “He was talking with Bellator, but I guess they’re not interested in having me in the tournament. But they’ve gotten some other offers. If it makes sense, we’ll do it.

“I’m just playing the waiting game. If it comes down to it, I’m just going to take a fight and knock someone’s head off. But really, I want to do it the smart way. So I’m hanging on to that until I need to make a move.”

Still, McCrory said he’s honored that people seem to care so much about his career.

“It’s nice to hear everybody giving me support and still having my back,” McCrory said. “It’s a good feeling. I’m going to be excited when I get back into the cage.”

And when he does return to action, McCrory plans to be the bully.

Steven Marrocco is a staff reporter for MMAjunkie.com and an MMA contributor for The Vancouver Sun.

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